How to Remove Plastic Snaps

Made a mistake with installing your plastic snap? The easiest way to remove plastic snaps from fabric is with our KAMsnaps Removal Pliers.

However, if you don't want to spend the extra money on removal pliers, there are alternative methods you can try with tools you may already have at home. Many of these methods were suggested by other KAMsnaps users (thank you!).

It is much easier to attach a snap than to remove it using any of these alternative methods. Some people may find one way works better than the others for them, so experiment and see which works best for you. Whichever method you try, be sure to go slowly so that you don't damage your fabric or hurt yourself.

-Apply a small amount of heat to the smushed cap prong at the center of the snap which holds the snap together. The heat will melt the prong, which will allow you to simply pull the 2 pieces of the snap apart. You can use a soldering tool if you have one (eBay has inexpensive “soldering pencils”), the tip of a glue gun, or just heat up the tip of a fork tine, meat thermometer, or screwdriver over a flame on the stove and quickly place it against the prong to melt it. This is the easiest method, in our opinion.

-Nail clippers or cuticle scissors can also be used to chip away at the sides of the snap or the snap prong until the snap breaks.

-Use a leather hole punch tool to punch a hole around the smushed prong. This will create a larger center hole in the attached socket or stud, which will allow you to simply pull the 2 sides of the snap apart.

-Cover the snap with scrap cloth. Use vice grips to press the snap sideways.

-Use a dremel/drill with a small rounded tip against the prong until the snap can be removed.

-Place your fabric sideways, so that the side of the snap is facing up & down. Press down as if you were applying a snap, and it should fall off. The following video shows how to do this with both the snap press and the pliers.

Have another suggestion, or even better, a video showing how you do it? We'd love to hear/see it! You can email it to sales(at)kamsnaps.com.